Informational Text
Honeybees are amazing insects that live all over the world. Bees live together in large groups called colonies. A colony can have 20,000 to 60,000 bees living together! Each bee has a special job to do. Some bees go out and find flowers. Other bees stay home and take care of baby bees. All the bees work as a team to survive and make honey.
What is this text MOSTLY about?
How honeybees live together in colonies and work as a team
The old castle had been abandoned for many years. The stone walls were crumbling and falling apart. Windows were broken and doors hung off their hinges. The beautiful building was now dilapidated and unsafe for anyone to enter."
What does "dilapidated" mean based on the other words in the passage?
In very poor condition; falling apart; broken down
Marcus looked out the window at the sky. Dark gray clouds were gathering overhead. Thunder rumbled loudly in the distance. The wind was blowing hard and shaking the trees. Leaves were flying everywhere. The temperature was getting colder.
Based on these clues, what can you predict will probably happen next?
It will rain/storm soon
HOW BUTTERFLIES EAT
Butterflies do not eat like other insects. They have a special straw-like mouth part called a proboscis. When the proboscis is not being used, it is curled up tightly like a spiral. When a butterfly finds a flower, it unrolls its proboscis and pokes it deep into the flower. The butterfly then sips the sweet nectar through the proboscis like you would drink through a straw. Some butterflies also drink water from puddles and mud.
What does the heading tell you this section will be about?
How butterflies eat
Our pet labrador named Shadow fetched us the Sunday morning paper!
1st, 2nd, or 3rd person POV?
1st
Giraffes are the tallest animals on Earth. They can grow up to 18 feet tall! A giraffe has a very long neck and very long legs. These long body parts help giraffes in important ways. The long neck helps a giraffe reach leaves high up in trees that other animals cannot reach. This means giraffes can find food when other animals go hungry. The long legs help giraffes run away from danger very fast. Because of their size and speed, giraffes are well adapted to life in Africa.
What is the MAIN IDEA of this text?
A giraffe's long neck and legs help it survive in Africa
The ocean's waves were turbulent during the terrible storm. They crashed violently against the rocks. The boat rocked back and forth in the rough, wild water. Sailors held on tight as the waves tossed the boat around like a toy."
What does "turbulent" mean in this text?
Rough, violent, wild, or stormy
Jake studied hard for his spelling test every single night for two weeks. He wrote each word ten times. He asked his mom to quiz him. He practiced on his computer using a spelling app. The night before the test, he reviewed all the words one more time. On test day, he felt confident and ready.
What can you predict about how Jake will do on his spelling test?
He will do well on his test
Coral reefs are ecosystems that are home to thousands of different sea creatures. An ecosystem is a community of living things that depend on each other. Coral reefs provide habitat for fish, sea turtles, octopuses, and many other animals. The habitat gives these animals food, shelter, and protection. Coral reefs are also important to humans because they protect our coasts from big waves and storms."
Why did the author put certain words in italics?
To show important words the reader should remember
The Grand Plaza Hotel was once the most luxurious place in the city, with gold decorations, soft velvet furniture, and sparkling chandeliers in the lobby. But that was many years ago. Now the hotel looked shabby and worn out—the paint was peeling off the walls, the carpet was torn and dirty, and the furniture was broken and falling apart. The chandeliers no longer sparkled because they were covered in dust. One day, a new owner bought the shabby old hotel and decided to make it luxurious again. Workers came to fix the walls, replace the carpet, and clean everything until it shined. Soon, the Grand Plaza Hotel began to look beautiful and fancy once more.
Are the words shabby and luxurious synonyms or antonyms?
Butterflies go through amazing changes in their lives. Scientists call these changes the butterfly life cycle. First, a butterfly lays tiny eggs on a leaf. The eggs are so small you can barely see them. Then, after a few days, a tiny caterpillar hatches from each egg. The caterpillar is very hungry and eats leaves all day long. The caterpillar grows bigger and bigger. Next, the caterpillar stops eating and forms a hard shell called a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar's body completely changes. Finally, after two weeks or more, a beautiful butterfly comes out. The butterfly is nothing like the caterpillar it used to be!"
What is the text structure for this text and what clue words tell you that?
(Cause and Effect, Problem and Solution, Sequence Compare and Contrast, Description)
Sequence- First, Then, Next, Finally
The students were jubilant when they found out they won the spelling bee. They cheered loudly, jumped up and down, and danced around the room with huge smiles on their faces. Some even hugged each other. Their happiness and excitement filled the entire gymnasium."
What does "jubilant" mean?
Very happy/full of joy
Monarch butterflies are among the most amazing insects on Earth. These butterflies are small and weigh less than a penny. Yet every year, millions of them fly 3,000 miles from Canada and the northern United States all the way to Mexico. They make this incredible journey to escape the cold winter. Scientists still do not fully understand how these tiny insects know exactly where to go. The monarchs use the position of the sun, the Earth's magnetic field, and landmarks to find their way. Their migration is one of nature's greatest mysteries.
Summarize this text in 1-2 sentences
Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles every year to escape winter. Scientists don't completely understand how these tiny insects know where to go. (or similar)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Desert Animals ..................... page 5 Chapter 2: Desert Plants ..................... page 18 Chapter 3: Desert Weather ..................... page 32 Chapter 4: Desert Maps ..................... page 45
If you wanted to learn about the average temperature in the desert, what page would you turn to?
Page 32
The Northeast is the most interesting part of the US.
Fact or opinion?
Dolphins are mammals, not fish, even though they live in the ocean. Mammals are animals that breathe air and have hair on their bodies. Dolphins must come up to the surface of the water to breathe air through a hole on the top of their heads. Baby dolphins are born alive and drink milk from their mothers, just like human babies do. Dolphins are also very intelligent animals. They can learn tricks and understand commands. Scientists have learned that dolphins use special sounds to talk to each other. Dolphins are playful and curious, and they often swim together in groups called pods."
What does the author want you to know about dolphins?
Dolphins are mammals that are intelligent and social animals (or: They have qualities like humans)
The young athlete's perseverance inspired everyone who knew her. Even when she fell during races, she got back up and kept running. When her coach told her to practice more, she practiced every single day. She never gave up, even when things got hard. After years of refusing to quit, she finally won the championship.
What does "perseverance" mean based on this passage?
Not giving up
I believe that recess is the most important part of the school day. During recess, students get to play, run around, and have fun. This exercise helps kids stay healthy and strong. Recess also gives students a chance to relax after working hard in class. When kids get a break to play, they are happier and can concentrate better on their schoolwork. Without recess, students get bored, tired, and unhappy. I think every school should have a long recess period every day."
What is the author's OPINION in this text?
That recess is the most important part of the day
This is an emperor penguin in Antarctica. Emperor penguins are the largest penguins in the world. They cannot fly like other birds, but they are excellent swimmers. Penguins dive deep into the ocean to catch fish to eat.
What information does this caption help you understand?
What the animal looks like, where it lives, and what it can do
The wind kept pushing them back like an invisible hand.
Simile or Metaphor?
Simile
Rainforests are special places on Earth where it rains almost every day. These forests are found near the equator in warm parts of the world. Rainforests get more rain than almost any other place—sometimes over 200 inches in one year! Because it is warm and wet all the time, rainforests are filled with more plants and animals than anywhere else. Scientists say that half of all the animals on Earth live in rainforests, even though rainforests cover only a small part of the planet. Tall trees grow so close together that the sun cannot reach the ground. Many animals live high up in the trees where it is sunny. Other animals live on the dark forest floor. The warm, wet climate creates the perfect home for thousands of different kinds of plants and animals.
Why do so many plants and animals live in rainforests?
The warm, wet climate provides perfect conditions for them to survive / There is lots of rain and warmth
The drought lasted for eight long months. No rain fell from the sky during all that time. The ground became hard and cracked. Rivers and lakes dried up. Farmers watched their crops wither and die because there was no water. Animals had nowhere to find water to drink. The dry conditions caused hardship for everyone in the region.
What does "drought" mean?
A long period with little or no rain, dry weather
O
wls are incredible hunters that work at night when most other animals are sleeping. Owls have very large eyes that help them see in the dark. They also have excellent hearing that helps them find prey. An owl can turn its head almost completely around—almost 270 degrees! This amazing ability lets the owl look in almost every direction without moving its body. Owls have special feathers that make almost no sound when they fly. This silent flight helps them sneak up on mice, rabbits, and other small animals. These special adaptations make owls some of the best nighttime hunters in the animal kingdom."
What is the MAIN IDEA of this text?
Owls have special abilities that make them excellent nighttime hunters
INDEX
Animals
Desert ................... 12
Ocean .................... 28
Forest ................... 45
Habitats ..................... 8
You want to find information about ocean animals. What page should you look at first?
Page 28
Last year, my dog Lucky had puppys. We got to keep one. We named him Milo.
What is the best way to correct the error in the underlined sentence?
a. change Lucky to lucky b. change year to years
c. change puppys to puppies d. Change my to me
C